The New Zealand Government says planned changes to health and safety rules for research laboratories could save the sector up to $3 billion, while also improving workplace safety.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden confirmed today that current health and safety regulations for laboratory work are “not fit for purpose” and will be replaced with rules tailored specifically to research, teaching and testing labs.

Ms van Velden said feedback from scientists and research organisations showed existing compliance requirements were impractical and, in some cases, increased safety risks.

At present, laboratories are regulated under the same hazardous substances rules as large-scale industrial operations such as petrol refineries. The Minister said this one-size-fits-all approach does not reflect how laboratories actually operate.

She pointed to examples where rules require laboratories handling certain substances to be located on the ground floor, despite upper levels offering safer evacuation options during fires. Other regulations require large distances between storage cabinets or fire-resistant rooms that many research facilities were never designed to accommodate.

Universities New Zealand and the Independent Research Association of New Zealand estimate compliance costs could reach between $1.5 billion and $3 billion if the regulations remain unchanged.

Ms van Velden said research laboratories previously had their own compliance pathway under a code of practice, which was removed in 2017 and never replaced.

The Government now plans to introduce new, tailored regulations along with an Approved Code of Practice to provide clearer guidance on managing laboratory risks.

Amendments to the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 are expected to come into force in 2026.